The name Arkansas means “south wind” and is derived from 'akansa', a word used by some Native Americans to describe the Quapaws, an early tribe in the area. The pronunciation “Ark-an-saw” (following the French custom of not pronouncing the final plural 's') was determined by the General Assembly of 1881. The 2007 General Assembly decreed the correct possessive form of Arkansas to be “Arkansas’s” because the pronunciation ends with a “w”

Arkansas fun facts

In 1906 when John Huddlestone found two diamonds in the soil of his farm triggering the first "diamond rush" on American continent. The State of Arkansas purchased the property in 1972 and began operating it as "Crater of Diamonds State Park." The Crater of Diamonds is the only active diamond mine in the United States and the only diamond-producing site in the world open to the public. For a small fee (as of 2015, $7 for adults, $4 for children), any person can enter the mine, search all day and keep any diamonds and other precious stones (amethyst, agate, jasper, garnet and peridot) that you find. Uncle Sam Diamond, the largest diamond ever found in North America, was found in the Crater of Diamonds State Park in 1924. The "Strawn-Wagner Diamond", the first perfect diamond found on the planet Earth, was found in the Crater of Diamonds State Park in 1990 by Shirley Strawn. It was the first ever diamond to receive a perfect grade of 0/0/0 by the American Gem Society.

Cool Arkansas fun facts

Hattie Caraway, the first woman elected to serve a full term as a United States Senator, represented Arkansas.

Arkansas facts

Wal-Mart Stores, the world's largest company by revenue, is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. Walmart is also the biggest private employer in the world with 2.2 million employees. On July 2, 1962, Walton opened the first Walmart Discount City store at 719 W. Walnut Street in Rogers, Arkansas.

Cool Arkansas fun facts

Eureka Springs, Arkansas has no traffic lights and the streets wind around the town, and no two intersect at a 90 degree angle.

Arkansas fun facts

The Arkansas Post was designated as the first capital of the Arkansas Territory in 1819, but lost that status to Little Rock in 1821. During the Civil War, after Little Rock was captured by the Union Army in 1863, the Confederate government moved the state government offices to Hot Springs for short time, then ultimately based the state government out of Washington, Arkansas making it the Capital of Arkansas from 1863-1865. After the Civil War, Little Rock regained its position as the state capital

Weird Arkansas fun facts

Bill Clinton is the only Arkansas-born person to become President of the United States.

Funny Arkansas fun facts

Arkansas’s earliest recorded nickname, the “Bear State” refer to the large population of Louisiana black bears (Ursus americanus luteolus) in the region. Arkansas was also called the “Toothpick State” due to the early custom of men carrying belt knives, often double-edged dirks or daggers ("toothpicks"). Arkansas did not acquire a formal or official nickname until 1923, when the Arkansas General Assembly adopted the slogan of the Arkansas Advancement Association, “Wonder State”, as the state’s official nickname.
In the early 1940s, a group of Little Rock businessmen known as the Committee of 100 began promoting Arkansas as “Land of Opportunity” In 1941, that tag phrase appeared for the first time on Arkansas auto license plates. In 1953, the Arkansas General Assembly adopted “The Land of Opportunity” as Arkansas’s new nickname. During the 1980s, the Arkansas parks system began promoting Arkansas as “the Natural State” and, in 1995, Representative Dennis Young introduced legislation to make the populer nickname, “the Natural State”, as official nickname citing the state’s “unsurpassed scenery, clear lakes, free-flowing streams, magnificent rivers, meandering bayous, delta bottomlands, forested mountains and abundant fish and wildlife”.

Introduction to Arkansas - Video

Arkansas Facts for kids

Clinton National Airport (LIT) is the busiest and largest commercial airport in Arkansas

Weird Arkansas fun facts

Lake Chicot in Lake Village is the biggest oxbow lake in North America.